Constellation Brands has awarded the first of two Master of Wine (MW) student scholarships this year to Sonoma-based wine writer and educator Matthew Gaughan. Gaughan achieved the highest overall score of any North American student in the stage one assessment. He will receive a $1,000 scholarship award sponsored by Constellation Brands to assist with his continued studies as he progresses to stage two. In addition, Constellation Masters of Wine Nova Cadamatre MW and Mark de Vere MW, will host him at Robert Mondavi Winery for a special tour and tasting this fall.

“I am delighted to receive the student scholarship from Constellation,” says Gaughan. “Studying for the MW takes a great deal of time, effort and financial investment, so to receive support from the industry is very helpful and bolsters my commitment to the programme.”

Gaughan grew up in northwest England and now lives in the heart of California’s wine country in Sonoma County. After completing a PhD in English Literature, his love of wine took him away from academia to selling, writing about and teaching about wine. He is a WSET Certified Educator and teaches classes at Grape Experience in San Francisco. His website, Matthew’s World of Wine and Drink, is dedicated to wine education, as is his podcast of the same name, which is available on the site, iTunes, and SoundCloud. He is currently developing a personally curated online wine club for enthusiasts looking for unusual and unique wines from around the world.

Constellation Brands has been an active supporter of the MW study programme for over two decades, and in 2019 became a principal supporter of the Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW). In addition to financial support, the company provides the venue for the MW examination in San Francisco each year, awards two annual scholarships to students in the MW study programme, and sponsors the Robert Mondavi Winery Award, presented each year to a new MW who has achieved the best overall result in the theory part of the MW examination. Constellation employees include Masters of Wine Nova Cadamatre MW (Senior Director of Winemaking) and Mark de Vere MW (Director of Wine Education).

ENDS

For more information contact: Sarah Kirkpatrick Head of Marketing, Communications and Membership Institute of Masters of Wine +44 (0)207 383 9131skirkpatrick@mastersofwine.org

About the Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW) The Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW) is a membership organisation with an exceptional international reputation. For almost 70 years, its members – the Masters of Wine (MWs) – have been at the forefront of leadership and expertise in the world of wine. The IMW’s mission is to promote excellence, interaction and learning across all sectors of the global wine community. MWs prove their comprehensive understanding of wine by passing the MW examination, recognised worldwide for its rigour and exacting standards. In addition to passing the examination, members must sign the code of conduct before they are entitled to use the initials MW. This requires them to act with honesty and integrity, and use every opportunity to share their knowledge of wine with others. Today, there are 390 Masters of Wine working in 30 countries. The membership encompasses winemakers, sommeliers, buyers, journalists, shippers, consultants, academics, educators and more. There were 359 students in the 2018-2019 MW study programme from over 45 countries.

About Constellation BrandsConstellation Brands is a leading international producer and marketer of wine, beer and spirits with operations in the U.S., Mexico, New Zealand, Italy and Canada. Based in Victor, N.Y., the company believes that industry leadership involves a commitment to brand building, our trade partners, the environment, our investors and to consumers around the world who choose our products when celebrating big moments or enjoying quiet ones. Since its founding in 1945, Constellation’s ability to see, meet and stay ahead of shifting consumer preferences and trends across total beverage alcohol has fueled our success and made us the No. 1 growth contributor in beverage alcohol in the U.S.www.cbrands.com

Santa Rita Estates becomes a supporter of the IMW

12 September 2019

The Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW) is pleased to announce that Santa Rita Estates (SRE), has re-joined the IMW’s international supporter community.

SRE comprises Santa Rita and Carmen from Chile, and Doña Paula from Argentina.

Santa Rita enjoys success in key markets across the globe as well as being one of the best-selling brands in Chile. Sebastian Labbé is the head winemaker of the ultra-premium Casa Real and is an integral part of SRE’s WiSe vineyard regeneration scheme.

Established in 1850, Carmen is one of the oldest wineries in Chile, where rising-star Emily Faulconer is the winemaker.

On the other side of the Andes, Doña Paula wines – headed up by winemaker Marcos Fernandez – are reaping the rewards of its hard work, dedication and vision by scooping up awards in the 2019 wine competitions, including Malbec Trophy in the International Wine Challenge.

Sustainability is top of SRE’s agenda in every part of the winemaking process – from the vineyards to the final distribution – and they have a fully integrated environmental and commercial sustainability programme in place.

Terry Pennington, export commercial director, SRE said, “We are delighted to be continuing our support of the IMW for another three years and feel privileged to be aligned to a brand synonymous with excellence within the world of wine. Our shared longstanding commitment to wine education and promotion of excellence makes the IMW a perfect partner to our Santa Rita Estate brands.”

Adrian Garforth MW, IMW chairman said “We are delighted to be renewing our relationship with Santa Rita Estates. In November we have a large party of MWs visiting Chile to explore and learn more about the exciting developments within the country. SRE are recognised for their pioneering work in the region, so their recommitment to support the IMW’s aims through a long term agreement is both timely and welcome.”

The IMW now works with 30 supporters from around the world who help to promote the IMW’s mission of excellence, interaction and learning across all sectors of the global wine community.

ENDS

For more information contact: Sarah Kirkpatrick Head of Marketing, Communications and Membership Institute of Masters of Wine +44 (0)207 383 9131skirkpatrick@mastersofwine.org